You can sign for Liverpool, you can pull on the shirt but some players will never truly be Liverpool players and Dejan Lovren will be destined to be one of those.
Dejan Lovren famously had his head up at Anfield long before he had actually signed for the club, but although his head was in Liverpool, Liverpool will never be in his head, you have to be a certain type of player to be taken to the hearts of the Kop and Lovren by his petulant antics during the summer in his attempts to free himself from a legally binding contract that he was quite happy to sign not 12 months earlier when no one of note wanted him, proved that he doesn't have those characteristics that truly make a Liverpool legend.
Liverpool fans can smell Bullsh*t, they know that Lovren is a user, his fine words on signing for Liverpool where familiar in the main to Saints supporters because they had heard something similar a year earlier, Liverpool fans know that as well and although some supporters of the club will not care as all they see is an expensive signing, Liverpool more than most have a hardcore who are well aware of the mercenary types who are in the game these days, they can smell them a mile off and although they might be loved for a short while, they will never truly be adored and taken to the hearts of Liverpudlians in the way that the likes of Roger Hunt, John Toshack, Kenny Dalglish and even Robbie Fowler have been.
These players knew what it meant to play for Liverpool, that it was more than just a team, even though Liverpool are now followed across the World, unlike Manchester United, for Liverpool it is still about the area and the community.
But for Dejan Lovren it will never be that, he will of course pull on the shirt, kiss the badge and talk of winning the Premier League, but all of that pales into significance when it comes what really matters to Dejan Lovren and that is Dejan Lovren, if what he perceives as a bigger club come in for him with a big offer, he will be up and gone quicker than a bishop in a brothel raid.
Liverpool fans know that already though, they won't have been impressed by his behaviour in the summer, they won't have been impressed with his smarmy comments about his head in Liverpool etc, because deep down they know that his words are hollow, he has said them before and proved that he didn't mean them, so why should he feel any different to Liverpool than he does to Southampton, of course im sure there will be some Liverpool fans who will scream at me about they are Liverpool and who are Southampton, but the decent Scousers know that a leopard does not change its spots, you either have that deep down decency and loyalty or you don't and Dejan Lovren does not have it.
If Lovren had behaved in a decent manner over the summer then Im sure he would still have ended up at Anfield, at the end of the day apart from being a golden sky there is also a price for every player and Liverpool had paid more than Lovren's was worth to Saints, money talks !
But he didn't do that he whinged and moaned and threatened Saints and that will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Liverpool supporters even before he has kicked a ball in anger for the club, they know that deep down he does not have that loyalty and commitment that all of their past greats have had.
The irony is that they will also know that about Adam Lallana, although in fairness to Lallana his situation was different than that of Lovren, he had been a loyal servant and it could be said deserve the move, im sure that both will put in some good games for Liverpool, on the opposite side of the coin and this is the real irony, is Rickie Lambert,, here is a man who is Liverpool through and through, if anyone truly deserves to be a legend it is him, but he will not have the impact the other two have and therefore perhaps won't be loved as much, indeed there will be a section of the support who get on his back if he doesnt score shedloads of goals, but that is the state of football today false idols are worshipped because they can deliver even if it turns out to be only for a short time.
Some might say this is the rant of a bitter supporter having seen one of his idols leave, nothing could be further from the truth, since Mick Channon was sold to Manchester City in 1977 I have seen a plethora of great Saints players leave the club, in the main though they have all left in the right way, I have never had a problem with a player doing his bit for the club and then moving on for the right money, what sticks in my throat this summer has been the petulant tantrums of a few so called professionals just because Saints have dared to ask them to continue to adhere to their highly paid contracts.
Never have I seen threats and comments from Saints players whilst still contracted to the club and that is something that rankles, of course it is the modern game, players don't care about their employers anymore than they care about where they buy their expensive cars from, its all about who will give them the best deal and that is all that matters.
Im sure this is nothing new to Liverpool fans, after all they had something similar to this a year ago with Luis Suarez.